District, state, and national standards (whatever is
applicable at the school).

Long-term objectives (describe the lesson as part of a
larger idea, such as a one-day lesson on Louis XIV that
contributes to understanding the chapter concept on the
growth of absolute monarchy).

Short-term (lesson) objectives: Measurable and specific,
phrased in terms of "the student will..."

Procedures

Introduction: Start with a hook (an attention-getter) to
introduce the lesson. This should be understandable and
relatable, and should activate prior knowledge.

Instruction: How will the goals of the lesson be
reached? What will the students do to reach the
objectives? Will the students complete a learning task in
teams? Will the students take notes from a lecture?

Closing: Students demonstrate that they followed the
instructions. This includes anything from sharing teamwork
results, to review questions over a lecture or PowerPoint.

Independent Work

This includes follow-up work done in class or as
homework.

Any work assigned should be an extension of the in-class
lesson. Ideally, it simultaneously reinforces the lesson,
builds upon it, and creates background knowledge for the
next lesson.

Assessment

Determine whether or not the goals of the lesson have
been reached. Types of assessment may vary.

Formal assessments include quizzes, tests, work (such as
essays) evaluated according to a rubric, etc.

What parts of this lesson worked well? How might these
parts be made even better?

What parts of this lesson did not work? Why? Should
these parts be altered, changed, or scrapped?

Parts of an Informal Lesson Plan

The formal lesson plan (above) is the sort
of plan that budding teachers submit to colleges of education,
or to administrators during the first-year teacher evaluation process.
Formal lesson plans can take up a lot of time if they are done
on a daily basis. For everyday classroom use, all that you need
is an informal lesson plan. These can be written in a lesson
planning book and/or on the board.

Objective

Write down what you want the students to do or know.

Example: "Students will examine the ways in which Louis
XIV was or was not an absolute monarch."

Briefly note the local/national/state standards being
met.

Procedure

Example: "PowerPoint presentation: Students will
actively listen, take notes, and participate in classroom
discussion."

Homework

Example: "Students will use their PowerPoint notes to
write a 50-word paragraph on how Louis XIV was or was not an
absolute monarch."